Mikel Arteta’s latest Martin Odegaard injury update could lead to surprise Norway call-up

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard has missed the last 14 games for both club and country, including crunch Premier League clashes with title rivals Liverpool and Manchester City.

Odegaard suffered the worrying ankle ailment back in early September, severely twisting it and being subsequently hauled off during Norway’s UEFA Nations League win over Austria.

The Gunners have notably struggled to find a solution to Odegaard’s absence, attempting to fill the void left by their star man by first playing striker Kai Havertz in a deeper role, before unsuccessfully testing out a 4-4-2 set-up – a departure from their regular 4-3-3 – in the weekend defeat to Newcastle United.

There finally appears to be some light at the end of the tunnel for the 25-year-old however, as the club captain was spotted in training this week and named in the Odegaard was named in the squad set to face Inter in the UEFA Champions League.

Mikel Arteta issues Martin Odegaard injury update

Speaking in a press conference ahead of the clash with the Serie A giants, Mikel Arteta revealed that the midfielder had returned to training ahead of schedule: “The positive news, Martin, it’s great to have him back,” said the Arsenal boss.

“He trained with us for the first time [since his injury on Tuesday]. He’s a bit earlier than expected, but it’s great to have him here.”

Norway manager considers Martin Odegaard call-up for November internationals

Odegaard’s return to training may have come at the perfect time for Norway ahead clashes with Slovenia and Kazakhstan in the final two games of their UEFA Nations League campaign.

Whilst Odegaard was not named in the Norway squad announced on November 5, Speaking to VG, Norway manager Stale Solbakken admitted that the 25-year-old’s return to first-team training at Arsenal could lead to a late call-up to the squad for the November international break:

“We follow the situation day by day. As of now, Martin is not 100% ready to play, but we are in daily contact with both him and Arsenal. Then a decision will be made after the weekend.”

Arsenal’s form without Martin Odegaard

The Gunners have endured a noticeable dip in form while their inspirational captain and creator-in-chief has been out of action.

After an initial spate of positive results including a north London derby win over Tottenham Hotspur, a dramatic 2-2 draw with Man City, and an impressive 2-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, Odegaard’s absence has caught up with them in recent weeks.

Arsenal have dropped points in each of their last three Premier League games, suffering disappointing defeats to both Bournemouth and Newcastle United in that period.

Said results have seen Arteta’s side drop down to fifth in the league table, a worrying seven points adrift of early pace-setters Liverpool.

Arsenal fans will be hoping that Odegaard’s return from injury will galvanize the team ahead of a crunch clash with London rivals Chelsea on Sunday evening.